Duplicity 2 (Duplicity New Adult Romance) (3 page)

It was a couple of nights before we left London, and we were packing. Or rather, Nick was. I only had a small bag from when I had left my place that fateful night. The night I caught my two best friends in bed together and discovered they were both lying snakes.
 

Nick surveyed my small pile of clothes beside his mountain of blue shirts, cashmere sweaters and jeans. Not to mention the suits that were still hanging up and would be travelling in their own, customized, hard-cased suit carrier. For someone who hadn’t been in London long, he’d brought enough clothes with him to last a lifetime. I guess he didn’t know his location was going to change so suddenly, either.

“So, are you going to go back and get the rest of your things?” Nick asked. “No offence, but you’re not going to get very far in New York with that lot. It’s a haphazard choice of couture, no?”

Considering the random items I had thrown in my bag that night, Nick’s description wasn’t far off the mark. But clothes or no clothes, I sure as hell wasn’t going back anywhere near Tara or Adam. I’d just about managed to avoid Adam at work. In fact, I wasn’t even sure if he had been at work, not that I cared.
 

I gave Nick my sweetest sarcastic smile. “None taken. I do, however, have big shopping plans when I get to New York. Don’t worry. I won’t disgrace you. Couldn’t show you up now, could I? Big shot and all that.” I swaggered across the room, to where Nick was waiting with open arms. He met me with a bear hug.

“I’m so lucky,” he murmured, kissing me. His touch filled my body with longing. “I can’t get enough of you, Holly Martin. I can’t wait to show you New York. Our apartment’s in Midtown East. It’s perfect for shopping and going out. You’re going to love it. How did I ever live without you?”

My lips craved more, but I stopped myself, leaning back. “Wait. What do you mean? You want me to live with you?”

Nick laughed, kissing me again. “Of course you’re going to live with me. Where else could you live? You’re not just going to walk into an apartment in New York, you know. It could take months to get somewhere decent. And the rent’s extortionate.”

He had a point, but the situation was complicated.
 

“Aren’t you forgetting something?” I had chosen my words with care, not wanting to spoil the moment, but it was too late. Nick recoiled as if I had slapped him.

“Look, I’m just saying,” I went on. “It’s not really that simple, is it? Don’t forget you’ve still got Sarah to think about.”
 

Shaking my head, I turned away, but Nick caught me by the wrist and turned me back to face him. His grip was gentle, but firm.

“Don’t do this, Holly,” he implored. “If this is going to work, then we need to be honest with each other.”
 

My heart flipped, and my face flushed. He was right, I had to tell him the truth.
 

“Okay, so here’s the thing.” I faced Nick head on. “There’s something I haven’t told you.”

“Go on.” Nick’s voice was slow, measured. Was he expecting some sort of bombshell? “I’m sure we can work it out.”

Could we? Could we work it out if I told him that I had cheated on him? Would he still want to make a life with me after Sarah was gone? Or would he walk away and go it alone? When it came down to it, I couldn’t risk it. That was before I knew that I might be pregnant. All I wanted was for us to make a life together in New York. I wanted bright lights and the big city. And most of all, I wanted my name on a plaque, on a corner office door:

 
Holly Martin. Senior VP
 

So, of course I chickened out. Who wouldn’t?

I snapped back to reality, my response honest but incomplete.
 

“I can’t live with you Nick. Not in your place. I’m sure your condo is truly amazing, but it can never be my home. I’m sorry, I had no idea that’s what you wanted. I just can’t do it. It’s yours and Sarah’s. It would be like living in someone else’s shadow, don’t you see? I’d be better in my own apartment, at least until things settle down.”

Nick reached out, his hand stroking my cheek. “Oh, Holly. It’s me that’s sorry. I was selfish not to even consider that. I totally respect your feelings. We’ll find you somewhere more suitable. In fact, I have an idea. Just let me call some friends. Please, can you forgive me?”

I moved back in close to Nick, and let him stroke my back. And I swore to myself that I would whatever it took to never hurt Nick, ever.

But karma’s a bitch and it has a funny way of biting you in the back, as the pregnancy test on the table reminded me.

The sound of the buzzer broke my thoughts, and I made my way to the intercom. I wasn’t expecting anyone. Ha, it’s not as if I had any friends who might pop by. And Nick had a key.

“Hello?” I called into the box on the wall.

A man’s voice replied, crystal clear through the ancient speakerphone. “Holly? I need to speak to you. Please open up Holly, it’s urgent.”

I stood, motionless, holding my breath. Adrenalin coursed through my body as I ignored the sound of the intercom. It was a long time before the buzzing stopped. Then, the only sound was the thumping of my heartbeat.

CHAPTER FOUR

This sound of his footsteps echoed on the wooden floor. I lay in bed, still, as I heard him approach. The apartment was in darkness, silent apart from his tread, and muted noises from the street outside. I had closed the window earlier, but the air conditioning was stuck on high and now it was too hot.
 

The luminous clock reading displayed 01.08AM. I had tossed and turned for hours, in and out of sleep. The sheets were twisted around my lower body, and despite the time of year, I wore just a long camisole due to the heat inside.
 

I sensed him enter the room. I lay motionless for a few moments. Neither of us spoke. I turned to watch, but in the dark could only make out the shadow of his silhouette in the doorway. A few more steps forward, clump clump clump, until he was standing at the opposite side of the bed.
 

It was a small room, any smaller and the king bed would have touched both walls. As my eyes adjusted, I could see him a little better now. He removed his jacket and lay it over the rail at the foot of the bed. His shirt was just tight enough to showcase his rippled chest.

He started to unbutton his shirt and I was mesmerized, a sexual stirring awakening my body. Even though I could not see them, I knew his eyes were on me as he undressed. His shirt hit the floor, revealing the outline of his perfect, rock-hard abs. He sat on the edge of the bed with his back to me, removing his shoes and socks.
 

I wanted to reach over and touch him, but I made myself stop. Undoing his belt and zipper, his trousers were off in seconds. He stood and turned again, facing me. Now it was his perfect, rock-hard cock that I could make out, straining through his shorts. Only then did he speak.

“I’ve missed you, Holly,” he whispered, lying beside me on the bed.

His hand brushed my cheek, pushing back my messy hair. His face met mine, my reward for waiting, a soft kiss. My arms instinctively went round him, pulling him close until his body was pressed tight against me. I buried my head in his skin, drinking in his smell. I wanted him to take me, consume me, fill me. There was no question I was his. I had already surrendered.
 

My hands moved up and down his back, his skin smooth and supple. He was kissing me properly now, and my tongue probed his, leaving him in no doubt of my desire. I wanted him hard and fast, deep and dirty.
 

He reached for the straps of my camisole, pushing them down off my shoulders until my pert breasts were exposed. A moan escaped from me as his hand met my bare skin. His touch on my erect nipples was sending electric shocks through my nerve endings.
 

I reached down to his shorts, and just the feel of his bulging there was enough to drive me crazy. With one hand I removed his underwear, so that his cock sprang free. My other hand was already touching myself, my pussy wet and ready for action. I had not been expecting a visitor tonight, and this was a welcome surprise.

“Jeez, Holly, I’ve never seen you like this before. You’re so hot tonight, you’re on fire. You haven’t even said hello,” he murmured, moving down on me now, a soft trail of kisses that made me quiver.
 

I remained silent as he devoured me, until my ecstasy gave way to a deep cry of exquisite pleasure. Afterwards, he tried to hold me, but I pushed him away.
 

He rose, fumbling on the floor for his clothes. It wasn’t long before the sound of footsteps and a click of the door told me he was gone again. I hadn’t even seen his face.
 

“Nick?” I cried, too late. Instead, it was a nightmare of Adam’s boots, walking around the apartment by themselves, that haunted me until I jolted back into consciousness.
 

The apartment was roasting, and I was gasping for water. I emptied the glass beside the bed between my lips, the liquid loosening my tongue from where it was stuck to the top of my mouth.
 

The alarm clock flashed 02:14AM. I got up and fiddled with the ancient air-conditioning controls on the wall. It was jammed. I smacked the wall in frustration. Let’s face it, the air-con was the least of my problems right now.

I walked down the hallway, stopping in the bathroom to splash my face with water. The pregnancy test kit was calling me from its place on the ledge above the sink, where I had left it in readiness for the morning.
Shut up.
 

In the living room, my cell phone screen was lit up.

Are you awake? I’m coming over to ravish you. Right now x

I tapped a quick reply.

You just did. In my dreams. Go home. You’re drunk x

My guess was right. Nick’s next text came back full of smiley faces and heart icons. Bless him.
 

On my way back down the hallway, I could still hear the taunts of the pregnancy test from the bathroom shelf. Turning the light on, I opened the box and read the instructions.
 

It wasn’t morning yet, but it was near enough. Would that still work? There were two tests in the packet. I reasoned with myself that I could always do the second one later. I couldn’t wait any longer. I had an urge to pee now anyway.
 

Sitting on the toilet seat, I took a deep breath and held the plastic stick under my urine flow. There was only a trickle. Was that enough?
 

Another trickle. Maybe I should have left it till the morning. Holding up the stick in my hand, I watched it and waited.

CHAPTER FIVE

Returning to bed, I lay looking at the ceiling for hours, the dark shadows outlining my demons. The handsome stranger did not return to comfort me and I had only my thoughts for company.
 

Hopes, regrets, fears for the future. My eyes were finally closing when the alarm signalled the start of another day here on Planet Earth. My arm stretched out to press the button and silence reality.
 

I stared at the green clock display. Procrastination played a game with me to delay the inevitable. I could only get up on a number ending in 5. If I went over, I had to wait till the next 5. I texted Nick. I had to see him.
 

I didn’t know what to do, or what I was going to say, but hopefully I would know at the time. We had a synchronicity when we were together, when things just clicked. It hadn’t been clicking so much of late, but I had to believe that we still had a chance.

It ended up being a serious rush to get to ready for work. In between brushing my teeth and pulling on my clothes, I kept checking my phone to see if Nick had responded to my message. Nothing. I would have to call him on the way in. Given his late night antics at the charity auction, it was possible he was still sleeping off the after effects of a night on the tiles.

The blast of cold morning air invigorated me, and I hurried towards the subway station. The L wouldn’t be so busy at this time.
 

As was my habit in the UK, I looked to the right to check the road was clear, and stepped off the sidewalk. The loud honk of a horn stopped me dead in my tracks, and I was yanked backwards by the arm just before a car whizzed past from the left. My hair flew back in the breeze. I could see the driver shouting at me and making obscene gestures with his hands. Yikes.

“You really should be more careful, Holly,” said the voice at my side. It belonged to the person who had saved me. “Or you could easily get yourself killed.”

I turned, to see Don Gribben facing me.

“Oh, hello,” I gasped, trying to remember how I knew this man. Thankfully it came to me just in time. “Mr. Gribben.”

“Oh, please, Holly. Just call me Don.”
 

I was still shocked by what had just happened. “Thanks Don,” I smiled at him, “Lucky you were here. I wasn’t concentrating properly.” I shook my head. “I have a lot on my mind.”
 

I was staring, dumbstruck and wary as to why he was here at all.

Concern was etched across Gribben’s face. “I really don’t think you’re in any fit state to be walking anywhere, Holly. Can I give you a ride to work? I’m on my way to a meeting and can drop you off. My car is just over there.”
 

He nodded towards a shiny, sleek black car on the other side of the road. The engine was running and a uniformed driver sat at the wheel. I couldn’t be sure, but it looked like the car that was driving behind me last night.

My eyes narrowed. On the face of it, he seemed genuine enough, but there was something about this guy that wasn’t quite right. As if sensing my mistrust, Gribben smiled.
 

“Come on, Holly. I insist. I’m going that way anyway. Here, let me,” and before I knew it he went to steer me forward by the elbow.
 

“What a coincidence,” I replied, shaking my shoulder to free myself from his grip. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m perfectly capable of getting to work by myself.” I stood my ground, waiting for him to leave.